Cuche Keeps Up Momentum To Win Giant Slalom

Cuche clocked two minutes and 49.57 seconds to earn the ninth World Cup win of his career, only the second in a giant slalom.

Swiss Didier Cuche built on his world championship success to win his first World Cup race of the season in a giant slalom in Sestriere on Saturday.

Crowned champion in the super-G and silver-medallist in the downhill in this month's world championships in Val d'Isere, Cuche clocked two minutes and 49.57 seconds to earn the ninth World Cup win of his career, only the second in a giant slalom.

The versatile Swiss team leader, 34, finished 0.66 ahead of Austrian Stephan Goergl, who had not reached a podium for three years. World silver medallist Benjamin Raich, another Austrian, was third, 0.89 off the pace on the 2006 Turin Olympic course.

Despite consistent top-10 placings, Cuche had not won a World Cup race for more than a year, concentrating mainly on the world championships in Val d'Isere, France, in which he was one of the most successful athletes.

Hampered by a back injury for the past month, Croat Ivica Kostelic limited the damage by finishing 11th and retained his lead in the overall World Cup standings on 766 points, ahead of Raich, who is on 740.

The two will be among the favourites in Sunday's super-combined, also in Sestriere.